Generally, steerable medical devices, such as certain endoscopes, ureteroscopes, and other scopes, catheters, and guides, may include a flexible shaft configured to be deflected or maneuvered to facilitate guidance through tortuous or furcated anatomical passageways. In order to effect and control the steering of the shaft, a plurality of control cables or wires may run the length of the medical device and may be operably connected to a distal end of the shaft. The proximal ends of the control cables may be coupled to a suitable actuator, and the actuator may proximally retract a control cable to bend the shaft in a desired direction.
As one control cable is proximally retracted, an opposing control cable is released or slackened. The slacked control cable may, however, be prone to uncontrollable movement within the medical device, and particularly, within the shaft. Such movement may cause inadvertent contact with other components of the medical device and/or snagging of the control cable, which may ultimately result in damage to the control cables and/or the other components.
Accordingly, the medical device and related methods of the present disclosure are directed to improvements in the existing technology.